


Complementary

by OneFrustratedWriterPerson



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26476714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneFrustratedWriterPerson/pseuds/OneFrustratedWriterPerson
Summary: A 5+1 story on how Kara’s world shifted from Red to Green.AKAA story of how Kara lost her world and found it again.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 1
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

1.

Red was Kara’s favorite color.

Growing up, she’d spent warm mornings at the breakfast table gazing at Rao, basking in his light, flanked by her parents as they went over her lessons. Advanced calculus. Geoengineering. Kryptonian history. She was curious for her age—highly intelligent—a trait everyone seemed to expect as a scion of the House of El. Her father, Zor-El, was after all a well-known scientist; a respected administrator of the Kryptonian Science Council, together with his younger brother, Jor-El.

It was easy to assume then that was the path she’d follow; but, her passion had always been split between that of her father’s and her mother’s. Alura Zor-El, much beloved, served as Krypton’s high judicator. Firm and just. Unwavering.

Both her parents took their responsibility of ensuring Krypton’s welfare seriously, something Kara herself learned early on.

And Krypton was _worth_ protecting; beautiful, despite its harsh terrain. Their people have adapted through hundreds of thousands of years, advanced their civilization to flourish, despite the challenges—made a home in the most unlikely of places.

Red was Krypton.

Red was Rao and his warmth.

Red was home.

***

How cruel that red was the last thing she saw before her world ended.

***

Space was black dusted with white specks of light.

White that held no meaning.

She closed her eyes.

***

In the darkness, she dreamed of nothing but,

_Red. Red. Red._

***

When she woke, red felt like a distant memory.

It was different now, morphed by the light-years she traveled, the time she slept—

the _not-red_ sun.

Red became the fire that streaked through her pod as gravity finally pulled it down.

Her first shaky steps were unto ground so distinctly and utterly _not-red._

And for a moment, she let herself forget, to accept—

until she watched Kal-El fly _away,_

farther and farther,

his cape fading at the distance.

_Red. Red. Red._

***

She wondered if people would ever stop _leaving_.

***

It took her months ( _years_ ), but,

Kara grew to love green.

A curious child on an alien planet, she learned about plants and how they kept the planet alive. She learned so many other things too—a whole new world full of different ecosystems, languages, and cultures, and histories, and laws (she hadn’t known a planet could be as _diverse_ ). She re-learned: though maths and sciences were natural to her, new terminologies weren’t (her high school grades were _abysmal);_ had to re-navigate social norms and landscapes (democracy still confused her at times).

Green was Eliza’s garden, full of flowers and their—Alex and Kara’s—treehouse.

Green was new beginnings, and forgiveness, and _hope_.

(Green was also vegetables, but Kara forgave that slight long ago…maybe.)

Green was Earth.

And despite the horrors in her relatively young (old) life, she was lucky enough to find home again.

***

She had been a child when it happened, watched helplessly as Krypton was destroyed.

Kara Danvers was not a child now, not as _powerless_.

Kara Zor-El had lost red once, abandoned her for a long time.

She won’t allow anyone to take the green away too.

* * *

1.5.

Christmas was Kara’s favorite holiday.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda late to the party, but discovering the wonders of Supercorp is definitely a highlight in this quarantine/pandemic #LoveWins


	2. Chapter 2

2.

It was many months after she landed on Earth, huddled under the stars (something she did after a rough day), when Alexandra— _Alex_ , she’d insisted—asked her about her scar, pointing to the small lesion just inside her left brow.

“Aren’t you invincible like your cousin?”

Unthinking, her hand reached up to trace the blemish, throat tightening with the sudden flux of memory.

***

She was seven years old, when her father, Zor-El, took her to see the Crystal Staircases of Sedenach. It was the first time she would accompany him off-world for one of his projects; and though it was only for a day, Kara had spent most of the week beforehand reading everything she could about the planet, had talked of nothing else during their family dinners (much to her mother’s fond chagrin and her father’s delight).

On the morning of their trip, Alura hugged them both and told them to be safe. Kara all but ran to the old, yet sturdy ship—a remnant from Krypton’s Age of Exploration, before the destruction of Wegthor (one of Krypton’s moons), and the subsequent planet-wide ban on space flight (the Science Council was allowed a small fleet for academic purposes, though much regulated by the Military Guild and Ruling Council). Her father was quick to reassure her that despite the ship being “old”, Krypton was still very much advanced compared to their immediate neighbors (and beyond).

Her enthused questions were halted once the ship began traversing the planet’s atmosphere.

_Space was beautiful_ , Kara thought, _and scary_ , as Krypton grew smaller and smaller against the background of emptiness. Her hand tightened around her father’s.

She hadn’t expected to feel…lost.

Fortunately, the flight lasted for only a few hours. Sedenach, she recalled, was merely two light-years from their own, in the Sophorth system, under a similar red sun named Vaethae.

The Crystal Staircases were as magnificent as young Kara imagined; almost as breathtaking as the Gold Volcano or Jewel Mountains back home. _Almost_.

The pair hiked to the research site, her father teaching her about the planet’s core and five moons as they went. (Kara was particularly interested in visiting Telia herself, a moon teeming with green flora her father favored.)

She barely contained her excitement when she was given permission to explore. _Stay close_ , Zor-El had warned, mindful of the hidden dangers within the beautiful land.

But Kara was a child—a very curious one—and though she was intelligent for her age, her excitement got the better of her.

And so the words were left unheard as she raced through the jagged steps, taking in its foreign architecture.

She slipped, of course, her foot missing the next step, hitting her head against the crystal edge. Pain bloomed in the space between her eyes and she cried.

There was so much _red_.

Her father found her soon after, dress and hands soaked with blood, clutching at the open wound on her temple. Her father had healed her quickly, as well as giving her a stern lecture on carelessness and safety.

It would be many weeks before her father (and mother) let her accompany him off-world again.

***

“We weren’t back then,” she whispered, swirling with melancholia and fear.

She wondered if she’ll ever bleed again.

***

There were only a few things that could hurt a Kryptonian—specifically a Kryptonian living on a planet with a yellow sun.

So few and rare that Kara often forgot that it was even possible. After all, being a Danvers meant no one knew what (or who) she truly was, hidden behind the cardigan-wearing, bubbly and warm persona she had settled into.

So utterly _human_ that her heart sometimes (always) grew heavy with guilt as they years passed.

She had never planned on following her cousin’s footsteps, no matter how many times the very thought lingered—a small whisper at the back of her mind.

But on one fateful night, her sister’s plane fell from the sky, and what followed changed her life for good:

Plain ole Kara Danvers, former nanny and Noonan’s waitress, personal assistant to the Queen of Media, became,

Supergirl, the Girl of Steel.

It was a responsibility she took seriously, remembering the lessons her (real) parents taught her over quiet breakfasts, the bittersweet memories of a lost family—the weight of a lost world. _Bittersweet_. To be a hero in a planet that wasn’t hers. To be _more_ when all she wanted was to belong.

Then, weeks into her double life, she was reminded (quite painfully) that while she was near-invincible, there were still, in fact, a handful of things that could actually hurt a person—a being—like her.

The sickening bright glow of _green_ , unnatural and ominous, mocked her in its plain form. A rock. A remnant of her home.

She felt her strength leave her limbs in an excruciating stream, legs crumpling under her, arms barely able to catch her own fall. Every breath a struggle, every inhale came with knives stabbing her throat, burning through her lungs, pressure building up behind her eyes, head throbbing with her stuttering heartbeat—

It was reckless, she knew, flying in without back-up. She thought she could handle intercepting the rampaging alien as she'd done many times before, but she hadn’t expected _this—_ hadn’t known the Kraizadian had gotten hold of something so sinister.

He approached her, concrete cracking under his hulking frame, grinning madly as he brought the Kryptonite ever closer. Distantly, she heard the screams of the people running away from the carnage, felt blood pouring from an open wound on her head.

She had almost forgotten what real pain felt like.

“You could’ve been a god to them, Supergirl,” he hissed, fury and disgust in his eyes. “We could’ve conquered this world in a day,” she gasped as his claws clamped down on her shoulder, lifting her roughly to spit in her bruised face, “yet you chose to _serve_.”

Kara met his gaze unflinchingly, blue eyes reflecting the steel of her spirit, she rasped, “this is my home.”

The Kraizadian suddenly let out a pained cry before dropping to the ground in an unconscious heap. Kara fell with him, landing on battered knees, the wind knocked out of her, as she swayed dangerously, struggling to keep upright.

Through blurred eyes, she saw her sister rushing towards her, yelling things she couldn’t hear.

“This is my home,” she whispered, as if she could make him understand, “this is my home.”

Red hair was the last thing she saw before the whole world turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sisterly love in this show is <3


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Kara had never been a violent person. She got angry, sure, frustrated, _definitely_ (more than anyone can ever imagine), but she wasn’t the type to hurt someone, especially given her (relatively) untrained god-like powers.

Kara had never disliked— _hated_ someone so much, hated someone _enough—_ that she wanted to cause them _pain_.

But then Lex Luthor decided to try and kill Kal-El—tried (and failed) to kill the only family she had left.

The person she was assigned to protect.

She vaguely remembered how her vision turned red when she’d heard, heat vision scorching the earth before she could stop it.

_Red. Red. Red._

It was lucky that Kara had come home to Midvale that day, lucky that Alex and Eliza were with her when it all went down. They all knew of the tension between Kal (Clark) and Lex, had heard of the small altercations between the two, but no one expected an _explosion—_ no one expected people to _die_ —

She had wanted to fly then, unsafe as it was. Fly to check on her cousin, to assure herself that Lex hadn’t succeeded.

Alex had managed to stop her, a comforting hand on her back, soft voice chanting in her ear, as she struggled to rein in the pure, unadulterated want to _hurt._

_He’s alive. It’s alright. Breathe. He’s okay._

She wished Lex rotted in whatever prison they put him in.

***

She lied.

She had hated before, hated _enough_.

The Sheriff who killed Kenny.

Bullies who tormented her for _just_ being different.

Herself. (For surviving when everyone else didn’t.)

Many sleepless nights spent wondering if she was—could be—a monster like Lex.

She wondered if they would (could) stop her if she did.

_***_

Unexpected _._

That particular week was turning out to be quite…unexpected.

Because her first thought, when she met Lena Luthor, was, of all things,

 _Green_.

( _Yes_ , _the color_ —but she was getting ahead of herself.)

The week had started more eventful than most, with an “unexpected” (yet completely pleasant) team-up with her cousin to save a plunging spacecraft. She had only meant to accompany him the following day, simply to observe the inner workings of a reporter in action. She was intrigued, and it was all very exciting (also a little nerve-wracking if she was being honest); residual adrenaline from their earlier activities leaking into her stride as they approached the pristine tower, LuthorCorp standing proud amidst the city’s impressive morning skyline.

The Daily Planet reporter had received an interesting tip after the Venture incident. Whispers of possible foul-play on part of the project’s manufacturers—the “unexpected” mechanical failure suspiciously coinciding with the abrupt absence of one Lena Luthor from the flight manifest: a curious timing of events with regard to the newly appointed, relatively unknown CEO.

Naturally, Clark Kent decided to investigate the issue. And Kara Danvers, not-reporter, quite “unexpectedly”, went along with her cousin. (If it was because of any residual discomfort—nay, worry—at the thought of Kal being alone with another Luthor—Lex or not—Kara couldn’t say for certain, but it couldn’t hurt to be extra, _extra_ safe those days, she reasoned.)

She had not heard much of the younger Luthor, aside from the harrowing coverage of Lex’ trial and subsequent imprisonment. She knew Lena Luthor was extremely accomplished for her age (a quick web search was enough to credit her understated genius), but not much else. Lex had been the face of the billion-dollar conglomerate since their father’s passing, and it was understandable the media gravitated towards his naturally charismatic (dangerous) persona.

“Ms. Luthor will be with you shortly.” Her secretary— _Jess_ , if Kara remembered correctly—ushering them to an adjacent waiting area.

They didn’t have to wait long though, before the elevator doors slid open, revealing the new CEO.

 _Green_.

That was her first thought. (She got _flustered_ , okay?)

(An understatement as she floundered through the initial exchange. Case in point: “ _And_ , _uh_ , _Supergirl was there too._ ”)

“You wouldn’t be asking if my last name was Smith.”

“But it’s not. It’s Luthor.”

For a brief moment, Kara had forgotten that Clark was quite the investigative journalist, caught off guard by his confident, somewhat pointed interrogation and barely hidden skepticism when noting her replies. A quiet spectator to the quick-witted back and forth between the two, she felt a measure of admiration slowly grow for the younger Luthor.

“I’m just a woman trying to make a name for herself outside her family.” 

Kara had already lost count of how many times Lena Luthor managed to surprise her.

“You understand that?” She asked with an imploring look.

 _Green_. _Green_. _Green_.

“Yeah,” she stuttered, missing Clark’s thoughtful glance.

Lena Luthor then proceeded to provide them with all their records and files regarding the oscillator in question.

“I’m here for a fresh start. Let me have one."

Unexpected indeed.

***

3.33

When people asked Kara on what finally made her decide to be a reporter, she would always say something about sharing stories of truth and hope, of being a force for good (*ehem*). And if something—say, a certain _color_ —kept flashing at the back of her mind every time they did; well, it wasn’t something she absolutely _had_ to share, right?

***

3.66

Cat Grant totally knew everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to express my super appreciation (pun totally intended) for the awesome writers and fellow creatives that keep the SuperCorp love alive. It's a real honor and privilege to read/watch/listen to your crafted works. This community is the best. Thank you, guys! 
> 
> PS. please keep safe and follow your local safety protocols! Remember, we are stronger together!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is in the air...definitely, maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away."

4.

The calendar taunted her every time she dared glimpse at her screen. On her desktop at CatCo. On her phone. _Hell_ , even on the work computers at the DEO.

The date ominously flashed, winding down with every intentional/accidental glance.

February 9.

Another look.

February 10.

Another peek.

February 11.

She felt the air in National City grow warmer, heard the songs on the radio turn sweeter. Flowers lining the streets tripled seemingly overnight. People going out to buy boxes upon boxes of chocolates in different shapes and forms.

 _Red_ began filling storefronts—ribbons, icing, cards, roses, _hearts_ — 

Kara floated above it all in fascination.

Krypton didn’t have a day dedicated to _lo_ —something like this.

Before Earth, she had never bought someone flowers (not that they had any), never witnessed her dad panic about special dinners or rush to buy thoughtful presents. Kryptonians were affectionate in their own quiet way. She remembered soft forehead kisses in early mornings, extra minutes after dinner to discuss the council’s latest research, words of encouragement before dreaded examinations or long court trials.

Designed from birth, they had been molded to serve and carry out their duties. So no, Kryptonians were never ones for extravagance, never ones for big gestures of _lo_ —sentiment.

It was one of the (many) things that she had to learn (or unlearn?) upon her arrival.

And for all she’s experienced, for all the sunshine and hope she represented, for all her _fascination_ , floating well above the city’s tallest skyscraper, Kara felt equally, utterly _terrified_.

February 12.

Kara paced across her apartment, back and fro, her eyebrows bunched together, feet barely brushing against the floor as she went.

The clock read 6:30 pm. She had just gotten home from CatCo, lucky to survive the day despite being distracted for most of it. The DEO was also (thankfully) silent, giving her the reprieve she needed; hence, the pacing. (Somewhere in the middle, she had ordered an obscene amount of food, potstickers mostly, as if preparing for something big—an understatement, if you asked her.)

A knock pulled her from her thoughts. Zooming to answer, she yanked her door open to reveal Alex, eyes raised in a look of exasperation and poorly hidden concern. She lifted the overfilled bags gingerly in her hands, “I saw the delivery guy downstairs.”

“Kara, what’s going on?” She asked, setting the piles of take-out on her counter. “I thought there was a Supergirl emergency. I thought you were in trouble! You don’t text ‘SOS’ then ignore my calls!”

“Wha—?” She ran to her phone. 9 unread messages. 4 missed calls. _Oops_. “Shoot. I’m so sorry, Alex. I swear I didn’t mean to. I put it on silent for the reporters’ meeting this afternoon. I just forgot to turn it off after. I’ve been distracted the whole day and well…”

Alex sighed, “crinkle.”

“Huh?”

“Crinkle,” she repeated, dragging her pouting sister to the couch. “Kara, what is it?”

Alex would like to remind everyone that no one knew her sister quite like she did; and so, when she saw Kara take deep, healthy gulps of air before replying, she _knew_ she was in for a signature ramble of epic proportions.

_Oh, boy._

“So you know how in Krypton, we weren’t really brought up to be expressive and all—not that we weren’t sentimental! It’s just that we weren’t necessarily showing it like all the time. And lemme tell you, when I got to Earth, it was a complete woozy because man, you guys are so fond of touching. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’d be down for a cuddle or two right now, but I wasn’t always? It was really hard at first. And all the unspoken rules, you know?”

“Kar—”

“—It took me a long while to figure out the intricacies of human connection. And even now I still don’t know if I’m getting it right. Some things are just too subtle! Like why can’t everyone be like those actors in old TV shows, you know? I don’t have to guess what they’re feeling. And I know I’m not an expert in any of that. I like hugs, and I like caring for people. But I don’t always know how to express my emotions the right way.”

“Kara—”

“—And you know my track record with these things. Ugh! What I’m trying to say is that I’m so confused right now, Alex. Because I’ve always felt this thing, you know, but I’m not sure how I could do something about it, or if I even _should_. I mean, it took me so long to even accept it? But maybe that was denial on my part because I didn’t want anything to change.”

“Ka—”

“—I’m happy with what we have. And maybe I’m also scared. Damn. I’m so scared, Alex. Because what if it’s just me? What if I’m just reading into this too much? Why isn’t there a handbook for this stuff? What if I get it wrong and I lose—I can’t. _Rao_. I can’t. And I already almost did. It took us so long to get back, and what if we can’t get it back the next time, you know? I don’t think I can take it. I _know_ I won’t. But what if me not doing anything will make it worse somehow? What if she finds out? What if she gets mad that I’ve kept this from her?”

“ _KARA_!” The Kryptonian cut off abruptly. Alex took a deep breath before calmly stating, “you were talking at super speed. I heard something about feelings? I’m sorry, but I need you to run that by me again.”

“Oh, _crap_ ,” Kara crumpled into the cushions, hands coming up to hide her mortification, “sorry Alex, I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay, Kara,” the older Danvers pulling her into a cuddle, arms wrapped around her shoulders, “we’re okay.”

After taking a moment to let Kara gather herself, she prodded, “now, what was it you wanted to say?”

Kara took another deep breath. Alex tensed.

“I love Lena.”

Oh.

Alex blinked, “love?”

Another gulp.

“I’m in love with her, Alex.”

Oh.

_Oh._

_Fuckin_ —

“ _FINALLY_.”

***

Contrary to what media often portrayed, the realization came to her in the most ordinary of days.

The skies didn’t open to shower her in warm light. People around her didn’t burst into song and dance. The world didn’t suddenly turn more vibrant. It didn’t come after a long, grueling, life-threatening fight; not after saving the day yet again.

No, it came on the most quiet of days.

January 31.

It was late. Kara and a number of reporters had elected to work overtime to finish the backlog piling up since the New Year. As the clock pushed well into the night, people began to wrap up their (extended) day, leaving, one by one, with a small wave and tired smile. Paul, a fellow senior editor, had been the latest to throw in the towel, rushing towards the elevator while muttering apologies into his phone.

Last reporter standing.

9:27 pm.

Finishing the last of her articles, Kara finally took a moment of peace to herself, closing her eyes and leaning back on her chair. Almost immediately her mind began to focus, her hearing filtering through thousands of distractions and sounds in the bustling city, searching for that familiar tune until— _there_.

_Lub-dub._

She sighed, relaxing further into her seat. Her neck losing its tension after the long day, letting the steady beat drown out her worries.

_Lub-dub._

It doesn’t surprise her that Lena was still at L-corp, remembering the merger she had been working on since the start of the holidays. They were in the final stretch of the negotiations, and knowing her best friend, she would want to ensure everything goes according to plan, even if it meant nights spent at the office. (Kara was not happy about it at first, but Lena had managed to bribe her with movie nights every Saturday evening, just the two of them, sans kale or any other “healthy” food items, much to Lena’s horror.)

 _Lub-dub_ —

The shrill of her phone cut through the silence, though any irritation she felt at the interruption melted away at the sight of Lena’s signature grin.

“Hey, Lee,” she greeted, an easy smile gracing her features.

“Alex told me you’re stuck at the office?”

“Just finished my article actually. It’s been a long day. Don’t judge me.” Her lower lip jutted outward (not that she could see, but _still_.)

“Stop pouting, Kara.”

“Am not!” She protested, earning a fond chuckle through the line.

“Hm, and have you eaten dinner?”

A welcome warmth settled around her, tightening ever so slightly around her chest.

“Are you stealing my lines now, Lee?”

“I will neither confirm nor deny,” she teased, before returning to her original question, “but have you? Eaten, I mean?”

Kara glanced at the remnants of her evening binge, a small mountain of empty take out containers well hidden from other’s view. “Yeah, yeah, you know my stomach tries to eat itself when I skip meals. Please tell me you’ve eaten dinner too.”

“I’ll have you know that I have been eating on a regular schedule since January. You know this.”

From far away, the steady beat quickened just a smidge.

“Lee.”

“Kara.” (She could sense the raised eyebrow from there.)

“ _Lee_.”

“What?”

“ _Lena_.”

“Fine! I ate two scones—okay, one scone! But I’m not hungry anymore, I promise!”

“ _Lena,”_ she repeated, her voice going quiet, “you know I worry.”

A breath.

“I know.” Another pause. “I know, darling.”

 _Rao_ , why was her heart beating so fast.

Consumed with her thoughts, she almost missed Lena’s next words. “I’m leaving soon. I promise to eat some more when I get home, okay?”

“Same. Are we still on for tomorrow?”

_Lub-dub—dub. (A…skip?)_

“Of course.”

_Lub-dub. (Probably not.)_

“Alright. Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow then?” She found herself reluctant to say goodbye so soon.

“Tomorrow. Have a good night, darling.”

“Text me when you get home. Good night, Lee.”

The call disconnected, screen going dark. Sighing, Kara rose, gathering her things before her quick commute. She prayed Supergirl wouldn’t be needed for the rest of the night, muscles still aching with leftover fatigue from her more recent encounters.

_Maybe Lena could help Alex upgrade the sunlamps—_

Her phone lit up, flashing a simple message.

_Rest well, darling <3_

The giddy sensation returned, bubbling up from deep within her belly. A part of her mourned the hours she had yet to wait, wanting more than anything to fly across the city and wrap Lena tightly in her arms—

 _Rao_ , she _loved_ —

Oh.

_Oh._

_Oh, Fudge._

***

“Wait—WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ‘ _FINALLY_ ’?!”

“Kara, you’re my sister and I love you, but yeah. We’ve known for a while.”

“You did?”

“Yup.”

“Wait—WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ‘ _WE_ ’?!”

…

“ _Alex_.”

***

February 13.

AKA Desperation Day.

Kara scoffed at the thought. It was ridiculous. The whole notion was _ridiculous_.

 _Desperation Day—_ as if someone needed a special reminder of the fact. (But not her. _Nope_. Not all.)

She stood in line at Noonan’s, patiently waiting for her morning coffee and sticky buns. It was unusually crowded, people ordering twice as much. (It took her some time and a few overheard conversations to realize why. “ _Do you think she’ll say yes?” or “I really hope I got his order right.” and “This is dumb. Does he even like coffee?”)_ She suppressed a self-deprecating groan at the thought that the nervous guy in front was being far braver than her at the moment. _I’m sure Lena already had a cup of coffee by no—_

“Hey, Kara! Just the usual this morning?” Two sticky buns and their largest cup of white chocolate mocha with 2 shots of espresso and 3 extra pumps of syrup. (They stopped questioning her after the first week.)

“Oh! Yes, Please! Thanks, Jolene.” Handing her payment, she looked around distractedly. “You guys sure are busy this morning.”

Jolene barely hid a whine, “Yeah, the Valentine’s day rush is starting. It’s gonna be wilder tomorrow.”

She winced in sympathy, dropping her change in the tip jar. The waitress smiled, clearly used to her warm personality. “Thanks, Kara. I hope you have a great day today!”

Clutching her breakfast, she sent a final wave before walking out into the busy, heart-filled streets of National City. She paused, internally debating whether or not it was too early to call Lena, Alex’ sisterly advice ringing in her ears. _Don’t let fear keep you from being happy, Kara._

Nodding to herself, she carried on about her day, ready to call her best friend as soon as she arrived at the office, eager to finish her stack of paperwork as early as she could. After all, she had a surprise to plan, and, if it all goes well, plenty of similar dates in the future. (She couldn’t stop herself from blushing.)

Before she knew it, her phone was ringing in her hand, her precious breakfast balanced in the other. Alex’ voice echoed through the speakers, “What’s up, Kar?”

“ _ALEX_! I need your help!”

 _Tomorrow_. She was gonna ask Lena out to dinner and confess her feelings tomorrow…on Valentine’s day.

***

She did not end up confessing on Valentine’s day.

February 13, 7:27pm.

Snapper had put them through the wringer the entire day, assigning task after task that left even Nia and her normally happy aura, grumbling into her 3rd cup of coffee by early afternoon. The only things that kept her sane throughout the whole ordeal was the random messages Lena would send her way and the anticipation of seeing her in person after she had clocked out. ( _I swear I’m one sexist comment away from firing half my board._ She had laughed at that one, almost choking on her lunch. She texted back, _no firing sexist employees on an empty stomach, remember?)_

(Alex had promised to help her plan out her Valentine’s day surprise later that evening, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t gonna visit Lena beforehand. Kara could only last for so long without seeing her best friend before she got cranky or sad..or both—as her sister often point out.)

She waved at Jess as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, smiling as she brandished two heavenly bags of fresh Thai food, setting the smaller one on the secretary’s desk. “She busy?”

“You are a godsend, Ms. Danvers.” Jess eyed the bag of food hungrily, before gesturing to Lena’s office. “Please feed her. She hasn’t taken a break since 1pm. One of the project directors got sick and Lena thought to take it on to avoid delays. You know her.” The last bit was said with equal parts fondness and exasperation. (Kara could definitely relate.)

She nodded in solidarity. “You going home soon?”

“She sent me home an hour ago, but I didn’t want to leave her when she’s like that. She might end up sleeping here again.” Kara, for the nth time, found herself relieved and grateful that Lena had someone like Jess in her corner.

“Don’t worry, Jess. I got her.” And just because she could, she teased, “I may or may not have seen Tom loitering in the lobby waiting for a certain someone.”

The usually stoic secretary flushed a deep red, fumbling slightly as she gathered her things and the takeout. Jess sent the reporter a half-hearted glare, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She giggled, dramatically tapping her chin, “mhmm. He may or may not have a bouquet of flowers too if I remember correctly.”

With that, Jess rushed to the elevator, calling out before the doors closed, “take care of our girl, Ms. Danvers!” (Kara vowed to make the consummate professional call her by her first name one day.)

Kara knocked before entering, mindful not to surprise the working CEO staring fixedly on several whiteboards covered with numbers and obscure symbols. Lena had elected to wear a business suit that day, with form-fitting charcoal grey slacks and a stripped button down, rolled up to her elbows. Her hair was tied up haphazardly, a few loose strands delicately framing her face. She eyed the matching suit jacket draped on her couch and suspiciously bare feet, knowing she must have already spent hours pacing, trying to solve whatever was on the board. (If asked, Kara would be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful sight. As it stood, she was already struggling not to drool over her best friend.)

Swallowing past the sudden flutter of anxiety, she approached, “Hey, Lee.”

“ _Kara_.” She watched in awe as Lena’s eyes lit up with recognition, a soft smile growing on her lips as she turned, “I thought I heard you.”

There was nothing particularly different about their routine greeting, a tight hug between best friends, a comforting squeeze as if to say ‘I’m with you’, but there was a newness to it (at least for her), unbalancing in the way her heart thumped louder in her ears, how her skin tingled where they touched. Before she could second guess herself, Kara pressed a light kiss to the side of her head. “I brought dinner.”

“Thank you, darling.” She tried not to overthink about how breathless Lena sounded.

She pulled away begrudgingly, moving to place said dinner on the only clear spot on the table, deeply amused at the disarray she saw there. “Jess filled me in, said you haven’t taken a break since lunch?”

Lena groaned as she gestured to the unfinished scientific collage. “I’m almost done. There’s one equation we haven’t worked out yet and we need it to proceed. We’ve already pushed this back a week. Some investors are getting restless.”

Kara bit her lip in a valiant attempt not to laugh at her disgruntled expression, clearly offended at having been repeatedly stumped. An attempt which obliviously failed as Lena huffed (playfully) before returning her attention to the problem at hand. Mindlessly, Kara reached forward, settling on Lena’s shoulders, gently kneading the tense muscles there. She preened at how the CEO melted under her touch, slightly hunching as her body lost its rigid stance, head rolling languidly, exposing her nape to Kara’s gaze. (She wondered how Lena would react if she placed a kiss there.)

Scrambling to contain her thoughts, she deflected, “come on, let’s eat dinner first. Maybe a little recharge might help.”

“You’re probably right,” setting down the marker she was fidgeting with, “I’ll just freshen up, if you don’t mind.”

“Go. I’ll prep dinner.” With a light-hearted shove, Lena made her way to the adjacent bathroom, leaving Kara alone in the quiet office.

Left to her own devices, Kara couldn’t help but consider the formula in front of her, feeling a surge of emotion at recognizing the theory, suddenly reminded of a bittersweet memory with her father and of early morning discussions. She found herself reaching for the abandoned marker, already finalizing the computation in her mind. Taking a moment to transpose Kryptonian mathematics to Earth nomenclature, she wrote, careful to delineate its symbols from the rest of the board.

Engrossed in her task, she failed to notice the bathroom door closing gently behind her, the light rhythm of footsteps until—

“ _Kara_.”

She finished her work with a flourish, pushing her glasses up her nose, too preoccupied to fix it earlier. She turned to Lena with a satisfied grin, only to grow confused at the gobsmacked expression on her face.

“Wha—?” Lena stepped forward, scanning her addition with a critical eye. Kara watched with barely hidden panic, mentally racing through her calculations again for any errors. She had gone through the math seven times when she remembered Alex’ reactions many years ago, how she would get frustrated or defensive every time Kara solved a problem she couldn’t answer. She remembered what her sister had said then (‘ _nobody likes a know-it-all, Kara_ ’), and assumed that Lena was insulted by her interference. Kara scrambled to fix her blunder.

“ _Shoot_. I shouldn’t have done that. I am so sorry! It was just staring at me, and I just wanted to help. I know scientist don’t like other people touching their work. I swear I didn’t mean to overstep—”

“How?” The question was asked in such a calm manner that she paused, wondering if she misread the whole situation.

“Um,” struggling to find the right words to explain, “do you remember what I told you about the matrix?” She waited for a nod before continuing, “well, I was, um, designed to be a part of our Science Guild, the same as my father. I was meant to join them when I came of age, but—you know.” 

“When I first came here, I was so focused on being human, and solving Millennium Maths Problems didn’t exactly fit in with all that. And it—it hurt, at least at the start, to do something that reminds me so much of my life before all this. It took me a long time to be okay with it, and I’m just…I'm sorry if it weirded you out or if I offended you in any way.”

The lack of response only served to fuel the mounting anxiety.

“Lena?” She (desperately) prodded, her hand starting to come up to fiddle with her glasses.

“You’re _amazing_.”

Her hand froze halfway, eyes widening at her words.

“I am?”

“Of course, darling.” Any lingering disbelief was dashed with Lena grasping her arms in excitement, sheer awe magnified in her bright gaze. “This is incredible!”

_Lub-dub._

“Oh.”

Her raised hand shot forward, deviating from its original path, grasping and pulling—

And—

Their lips met in the lightest of touches, and it was as if her world narrowed down to the singular point they shared.

Then—

The lips beneath hers began to move, urgent hands gripping her sides as she, in turn, cupped her face firmly in hers. 

_Rao_. How had she survived so long without _this_.

The sudden rush of _feeling_ was akin to drowning in sunlight, free-falling from the stratosphere—no, this was _better_.

This was _everything_.

They pulled away with a gasp, foreheads pressed together as they tried to catch their breath. Unwilling to let the moment end, to face the truth just yet, Kara kept her eyes closed, lips still tingling from their kiss, thumbs brushing over Lena’s cheeks in a loving caress.

_Lub-dub._

“I—I had a plan.” She confessed, empowered by the unmoving warmth in her arms. “Well, I was gonna make a plan, take you to dinner, maybe a movie.” Kara chuckled at her own foolishness, still struggling to believe what just happened. “But you say things like that and I wonder why it’s taking me so long to—”

_Lub-dub._

“Is this okay?”

A tender force tilted her chin upwards, thumb grazing delicately along her lower lip, silently coaxing her out of her inner turmoil. A part of her wanted to refuse, blissfully content at holding her in her arms, afraid to face the possibility of her _leaving_. But this was Lena, and Kara, for all her superpowers, could never think to cause her even the tiniest bit of unhappiness.

So finally— _finally_ —she opened her eyes to—

Sparkling, incandescent _green_.

Her breath hitched, overwhelmed by what she saw in those emerald depths, to see all of her dreams and desire reflected so plainly back at her. So enraptured that she missed Lena inch closer, until the space between them ceased to exist altogether, pulled by a gravity neither was strong enough to resist.

Like waves upon the shoreline, they met and parted again and again, in a mutual dance only they knew.

“Again.” (Lena’s breathless voice was quickly becoming one of Kara’s favorite things.)

Another press.

“Again.”

Another peck.

“Lena?”

The waves settled then, calm and tranquil. Fulfilled.

“Hmm?”

Kara marveled at how easily it was to divulge her deepest secret then, after countless sleepless nights and self-doubt, secured in the arms of the woman she—

“I love you.”

The smile she sent her was as beautiful as sunlight.

“I love you too, darling.”

“Lena?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m _starving_.”

Lena’s sweet laughter rang in her ears.

***

4.5

March 13.

Lena surprised her with her very own private lab at L-Corp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, things I wanted to include in this chapter:
> 
> Valentine’s Day special  
> Confession scene  
> Desperation Day — my ode to How I Met Your Mother (loved that series, hated the ending. PLEASE UNIVERSE GIVE SUPERCORP THE ENDING THEY DESERVE.)  
> Kara bi panic!  
> Lena gay panic!  
> Alex + Kara sister bonding/awesomeness — as a person with 3 sisters, ALL THE LOVE <3  
> Kara + Jess co-presidents of Team Lena  
> Genius! Kara Danvers — coz, honestly, youngest member of the Science Guild, amirite?  
> LOTS OF SUPERCORP FLUFF. ALL THE FLUFF. 
> 
> Can I just gush over my love for this community for a moment? Coz, I FEEL THE LOVES Y’ALL <3 Legit one of the things that kept me sane through medical school, boards exam (which I killed BTW WHOOP WHOOOP), and the whole shit show that was 2020.


End file.
